An apology letter to my body.

abrandnewme18
abrandnewme18 Posts: 305
in Motivation and Support
"I'm sorry that I've put you through countless binges, stuffing you to the brim, forcing you to digest all that food even though you didn't want to or deserve to.

I'm sorry for filling you up with nutrient-low, processed food. I'm sorry for not giving you the healthy foods you wanted, needed, and desired.

I'm sorry I never listened to you before. I never considered how you felt when I overstuffed myself, I just was focusing on whatever my mind was saying. I was the one putting the food into my mouth, but you were the one who suffered the consequences.
I'm sorry for always hating on you. I never realized your true potential. I was just picking at your flaws, but I should have been focusing on all the amazing you do for me everyday. You've been so good to you, but I've never even thanked you for it. I've only done the opposite. Well, body, thank you for always being there for me. For always being there for me and keeping me healthy, even though I've only done bad things to you.

You've been through so much, and I've never thanked you for that. I've only blamed you for all the issues I had, why I'm overweight, but in reality I'm the one who caused it all, not you.

I'm so sorry for not being good to you. I only have one of you, and I'm going to be good to you now. You deserve the best. I know you are probably upset with me now, and you have a right to be so, but I hope in the future if I am very good to you, we can finally have a healthy relationship and love each other.

-Sincerely,

Me."




I just posted this on my blog, but decided to post it here as well. The letter probably seems a bit silly, but I can assure the message is not. Today I consumed a whopping total of 4,600 cals! :noway: Usually after consuming that many calories, I would just look into the mirror and express hate towards how my body looked, but never appreciated what it does for me. After feeling sick today, I realized I couldn't keep doing this to my body. I never realized I was hurting it so much. It deserves to be treated right, with healthy, well-portioned meals, exercise, and a good amount of sleep, and that's what I am going to do from now on.

Take a moment and appreciate all those things your body does for you. Do have have an apology letter for your body? What about a thank you letter?

Replies

  • carlalosesweight
    carlalosesweight Posts: 1
    I loved this. Such an amazing a-ha moment. Best wishes with your ongoing commitment to treating your body with respect.
  • abrandnewme18
    abrandnewme18 Posts: 305
    I loved this. Such an amazing a-ha moment. Best wishes with your ongoing commitment to treating your body with respect.

    That means a lot, thank you. :)
  • bjean1964
    bjean1964 Posts: 29 Member
    You can do this for your MENTAL and PHYSICAl "you". Good job!:smile:
  • koshkasmum
    koshkasmum Posts: 276 Member
    Not a tiny bit silly. This is wonderful! You have set a great precedent - a lot of us owe our bodies a sincere apology. I think I'll start working on mine. Thanks.
  • tequila09
    tequila09 Posts: 764 Member
    aw i feel the same way... i'm a bit over 3000cals today ugh.
  • latprin
    latprin Posts: 16
    Awesome! Such a wonderful read. Made me think about what I've done. Thank you.
  • ron2e
    ron2e Posts: 606
    Wow! I'm very impressed, this actually gave me a wake up. I haven't just got fat, it's what I've done to my body that has caused it to become fat. Thank you, I need to treat my body with respect from now on. And I'm not being patronising when I say this is very mature stuff from one so young, I feel you will go far :happy:
  • FitBlackChick
    FitBlackChick Posts: 215 Member
    I'd like to print this out and put it on my bedroom door if that's alright :smile:
  • Thena81
    Thena81 Posts: 1,265 Member
    love this! maybe i should write one... lol
  • abrandnewme18
    abrandnewme18 Posts: 305
    I'd like to print this out and put it on my bedroom door if that's alright :smile:

    aww i'm honored that you want to do that! :) of course you can, or you can make your own!
  • MindyBlack
    MindyBlack Posts: 954 Member
    This isn't silly at all. This is a brilliant idea. I love it.I have never written a letter like this but I have made a list of all the good things about my body, all of the amazing things it has done and continues to do daily.
    This is a great way to own your issues.
    Thanks for the awesome read.
  • stephaniemejia1671
    stephaniemejia1671 Posts: 482 Member
    My goodness. This is so beautiful. Most of us never even consider apologizing to our bodies the way you did to yours. I think it's a great way to feel better about yourself and it's an even better way to motivate others to get and stay healthy. A great read to start the day.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,340 Member
    Great letter and oh, so true.

    A friend who lost a LOT of weight once told me his turning point was realising he'd never treat any of his possessions the way he treated his body. We only get one, why wouldn't you take all the care you can of it? Our bodies deserve better :)
  • mahirob
    mahirob Posts: 35
    Ha, this is so awesome. Thanks for sharing.
  • Lauren2H
    Lauren2H Posts: 33 Member
    I've done a lot of therapy on my journey to healing, but have never done this. It seems like a valuable tool. Thanks for sharing!
  • dajero1
    dajero1 Posts: 75 Member
    Thanks, needed that, shear brillance. I'm just off back-to back 3000-4000 calorie days. Bumping this for a much need nudge from time to time. I pledge to take this as a cue to be kinder to my body. Really, WHY do we do it to ourselves?
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    Great idea. I think I'm going to do the same! Thanks!
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
    This was such a good idea! Congratulations on coming to terms with yourself and your body! (I heard of this really great counseling program... I think it was called "Healthy Eating and exercise"? check it out, I go 5 times a week and me and my body are getting along better than ever!) haha just kidding around, great work! :)
  • camiah
    camiah Posts: 146
    Dear body,

    We haven't ever gotten along very well. Well, that isn't true. Up until about 8 years old. And then things went south. After that, I didn't forget about you, but I did ignore you, and use food to make you into something that my mind thought would be safer. The cost of being safer though, meant I hated you. I stuffed you with food you didn't need, and didn't want, and then hated you when you wore the results.

    I'm sorry I've ignored your needs in favor of the needs of a depressed and miserable mind that sought food out both as comfort and as punishment. I'm sorry I'm so completely unaware of you. I'm improving, I know, but I haven't come far enough. I'm sorry I inflicted flirtations with both purging and starvation on you. Desperation and misery are a deadly combination. I've put you through a lot in the 34 years I've had you.

    I've hated you for so long, that to feel even neutral about you feels weird. I may no longer hate you, but I am ashamed of you. Maybe not so much of you as I am ashamed of what you represent. My failures, my weakness, my compulsions, my depression. I feel like my body is evidence of every negative part of me. I'm sorry I still feel that way. I'm working on it, truly I am. I can look at you now and see positives, when I never could before. I'm getting better at letting go of the value judgments about you and your appearance and working on accepting the facts. I can't undo what I've done to you, and what I've put you through, but trust me when I tell you I'm not going to stop working on this until I can love you for what you are and what you have the potential to be.

    You have the potential to be so much, and you've been held back for so long. Now my task is to love you, to nourish you with healthy, appropriate amounts of food, and to move you enough that you reawaken that potential, but not expect so much of your abused joints that I cause you even more pain. This is my promise to you. To help you be the healthiest body possible.

    Now I think I'm going to go cry.
  • mohanj
    mohanj Posts: 381 Member
    It is very cute.
  • meyllisa
    meyllisa Posts: 277 Member
    I think every body on mfp could use an apology Thanks for sharing yours!
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    :smile:
  • bopstar84
    bopstar84 Posts: 6
    Thankyou so much for this :)
  • ChaleGirl
    ChaleGirl Posts: 270 Member
    This is sooooo beautiful!
    Thank you for sharing
    I have abused my body so much
    It's so true, I don't teach my physical possessions this way
    Our bodies are priceless and we can never buy another one
    I'm looking forward to having a healthier relationship with my body!
  • abrandnewme18
    abrandnewme18 Posts: 305
    wow! i'm glad so many people liked my idea! it means a lot:)
  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
    This is beautiful, OP. Thank you for sharing it... it definitely rings true.

    Good luck! :smile:

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